This situation is due to the updating of patients who do not attend primary care, that is, people who have not used health centres for more than five years and who do not have a family doctor assigned. Thus, each citizen who is removed from the “list” opens a vacancy for another who was waiting for a family doctor.

Among the reasons given for the reduction in the number of patients in the National User Register is the change of address, births and deaths. Even so, the ACSS warns that at any time users who fall into the category of “non-users” may request enrolment in primary care.